There is a common myth that drivers are the "boss of the bus". In reality bus drivers often feel themselves to be prisoners of the timetable and unpredictable or unsocial shift times.They often feel helpless in the face of conflicting demands on them to stick to the timetable, drive safely, and provide a friendly service to passengers.

This powerlessness, or "low autonomy" as the experts call it, is in itself a cause of stress. Working-time practice should include

The working week should not be more than 40 hours, and the normal working day not more than eight hours.No driver should be allowed to drive continuously for more than four hours without a break. Ideally a twenty minute break should be provided after two hours of continuous work.(not recovery time but break time)Drivers should be able to use their breaks to refresh and replenish themselves.There should be enough time in the working day to reduce the conflict between the demand to stick to the timetable and the need to drive safely. This conflict is the underlying cause of a great deal of stress for drivers, resulting in them either driving too fast or being continually behind schedule.The daily rest of drivers should be at least 11 consecutive hours, and split shifts should be avoided.Assignments (routes, times, etc) should be regular and predictable, not day-to-day.Days off should be guaranteed and should be at least two days at a time.

Bus compartments are often uncomfortable, inflexible, and exposed to
the elements which makes them too hot or too cold. No allowance is made
in the design for drivers of different height or weight. The ideal cabin
design should include the following:

The driver’s seat should be vertically and horizontally adjustable
and have adjustable lower back support and adjustable springs. The
controls for adjusting the seat must be easy to operate.

The steering wheel should be no more than 460 mm in diameter and be
adjustable along the axis of the steering column. Its angle of
inclination should also be adjustable.

The pedals should be within easy reach for small and tall drivers alike. They should have equal angles.

The dashboard should have easy to read displays which are arranged
according to functions and frequency of use. It should be easy and safe
to operate all manual controls, especially emergency controls.

Big and small drivers must be able to enter and leave the working
space easily, and effective heating and cooling systems should be
provided for the cab.

Oh the cuts! The only people who are truly affected by these cuts don't read this blog. It's just so, so, fucking tiresome to read about and hear absolute retards say that this city has such wonderful, amazing public transportation.

It doesn't.

Sure it does, compared to like second rate, nationally unimportant cities that have none.

A couple of readers have alerted us to this one: The not-so-clever
people who have been running Tri-Met have come up with a proposal to
pile up tons of tax dollars for future rail projects. And apparently
the plan will mean new taxes for all of us. As one reader put it --

We discussed several items with the TriMet representatives
last night at the “Working with TriMet” Coffee Klatch. For those of you who
couldn’t make it, please find a general summary below regarding the budget cut
process and advocating tips.

Metro Transit buses were involved in 663 collisions over a one-year period, CBC News has learned.
CBC reporter Bob Murphy filed a freedom-of-information request with
Metro Transit and received a database of the crashes involving its buses
between November 2010 and November 2011.
It works out to be almost two incidents per day. Collisions range
from minor bumps to more serious incidents involving pedestrians, which
happened three times, according to the data from Metro Transit.

In remarks that raised some eyebrows in the audience, the nation’s
top transportation official said this week that there is an “unlimited
supply of oil” in parts of the world.
U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood made that statement
Wednesday at Virginia Commonwealth University at the end of a town hall
meeting attended by about 75 students, staff, and faculty members.

Sunday, January 29, 2012

TriMet Board of Directors Via E-mail ℅ Kelly Runnion

Re: There must be more options than just pricing people with
disabilities off of needed due mandated LIFT Paratransit service.
*Before you consider the fare increase proposal on the table, more
below...

Dear Board Members:

I know there can be other
options besides huge unfair fare increases focused on the backs of
people with disabilities in order to balance TriMet's budget shortfall.
That due to TriMet managements' errors causing the budgetary issues
using proposed/unfair fare increases as the method of balancing TriMet's
budget is ludicrous. That overall public transit needs to be managed in
a proper manner keeping transit affordable encouraging people to use
public transit as intended for a healthier environment etc. And, one
example of poor judgment by TriMet management is the labor dispute with
the union which to date outcomes have not been what management thought
outcomes would be. That shortfall due to managements' wrong presumption
has impacted the budget horribly and pricing people with disabilities
off of LIFT Paratransit service because of managements' errors in
judgment etc is clearly wrong. Additionally the ADA is clear paratransit
service must be affordable and the proposal on the table makes LIFT
unaffordable in direct conflict with the ADA as pointed out by TriMet
management. (Management pointing out found in the ADA guidance for
paratransit service: paratransit service must be affordable.)

Claim: The value of the Willamette Shore/Jefferson Street right-of-way is $0 since at least some of it is only an agreement to allow a rail line, and no railroad would be interested in purchasing it

Reality: I don't know if Erik (partially) owns his home or not, but he should understand that the value of it isn't what he could get for it today, but in the shelter it provides. Likewise, the value of the right-of-way is the ability to use it for a rail transit line.

(The value matters since the Federal government is willing to use that as match in a project funding agreement. Also, to be clear, I haven't been gung-ho for the streetcar project that was proposed.)

Transit Police Officers (TPD) teamed up with federal security partners this week on a 4-day mission on MAX. The VIPR teams (Visible Intermodal Prevention and Response) are Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) federal agents. TriMet and our federal security partners conduct these types of deployments regularly at random times throughout the year. The missions are designed to enhance security by working in mass transit, aviation, maritime, rail and other transportation modes alongside local law enforcement agencies. The exact makeup of the VIPR teams is determined jointly with local authorities and DHS.

This particular deployment was not in response to any specific or recent activity or threat. The deployment started last Sunday, January 22nd, with teams riding the trains looking for any suspicious activity. They walked through trains and deboarded, allowing trains to continue revenue service. The missions were successful but reported back no higher-than-usual rates of arrest or exclusions.

Overall ridership was down about 10 percent during last week’s two snow days. Ridership typically drops during winter weather events and last week’s snow days were no exception. TriMet sees many new riders during winter weather events, but a lot of people stay home or do not make as many trips as usual. Here are the ridership numbers for last week’s snow days:

There is going to be a lot of conversation in the coming weeks and months about fares. Should we re-structure them, how much should we raise them, how do we make them easier to collect, how much more should we be investing in enforcement, and how does it affect particular communities or particular stakeholders. It is an important topic - after all, about 1/4 of our operating budget comes from fares. When I talk to operators, no topic gets more attention. For example, we are getting pretty positive feedback on the transfer printer being showcased during this week's sign-up.

Most operators also tell me - get rid of the zones! One of my objectives, embedded in our five year plan - is making sure whatever we do in the short-term lines up with the trajectory we want to be on in the long term. More specifically, I think we need to modernize our fare system, and move to the next generation of electronic fares - that will take a few years - but one thing we've heard from other transit agencies who have already implemented electronic fares: "...the first thing you need to do is simplify your fare policy and structure as much as possible." Electrons don't make a complex fare system simple all by themselves.

Between now and February 8th, I will be working to put together the budget plan based on the work of the budget task force, the nearly 5,000 survey responses we got, stakeholders, and what I've heard over time from our operators and other staff. A fare proposal will be part of that - and then the whole community of transit riders will have a chance to engage on the topic. Much more to come.

Though TriMet strives to balance simplicity and ease of use for the customer vs. offering different products to address specific markets, it is apparent that over time the fare system has become too complicated, with too many different products. It is very difficult
17
for new and infrequent riders to figure out, primarily due to a zone system that can be complicated even for frequent riders. This can be a barrier to new riders, and for existing riders, the complex fare structure can lead to disputes at the farebox. Another source of customer concern is that transfer times are different on bus and rail. TriMet will review changes to both fare policy and technology to address these concerns.

New riders and visitors in particular complain that it is difficult to determine the correct fare to buy. TriMet’s own research on how riders buy fares shows that new and infrequent riders often buy the wrong fare because they have difficulty figuring out zones.
In addition to the zones, the fare structure is complicated by the fact that TriMet has more than 35 different fare instruments, including a variety of tickets and passes, for customers to choose. For example, there are 5 different monthly passes: adult all zone, adult zone 1 and 2, adult zone 2 and 3 zone, honored citizen, and youth. In addition, TriMet issues an annual pass, a half monthly pass, a 30 day rolling pass, a 14 day rolling pass, a 7 day rolling pass, a packet of ten ride tickets, a seven day scratch-off pass, an upgrade, and employer passes.

TriMet does operate commuter rail service. Most transit properties charge a premium fare for commuter rail service. When the WES commuter rail service began, an interagency agreement specified that the fare would not be higher than TriMet’s fares. The cost to ride WES is an all zone fare with a free transfer to other TriMet service. Because WES provides premium commuter service, a premium fare could be considered as part of the fare review. However, a premium fare would need to be balanced against the potential negative effect on ridership.

Bus transfers are made of flimsy paper, are extremely difficult for riders to decipher and difficult for operators to issue because they must be ripped individually.

I don't know whether TriMet is equally resigned to its inability to
police the mess, but the agency's public perception and commitment to
the task both took dramatic hits at week's end. On the morning following
another celebrated brush with violence aboard MAX, TriMet was lobbying
for another obnoxious fare increase

The OSHU tram turned 5 yesterday, so today they had a birthday party for it in the Center for Health & Healing which is OHSU's South Waterfront location & the bottom terminus for the tram. Inside was tram artwork & photography, a couple of tram operators with some of the tools & tram parts & segments of the cables to see up close, and also cupcakes. Every half hour or so they ran tours of the engine room and control room.

Well I guess they do have transparency when it comes to their bus GPS data. Not that that actually means much in terms of what the word TRANSPARENCY is supposed to mean. They are the leader in this sort of technology, but the lagger in the technology that helps secure stations and pay/enforce fares. Which is more important? I say the latter.Transit transparency: Open data in action ~ Policy by the Numbers

NEW YORK (AP) — Hostess Brands Inc., the bankrupt maker of Wonder
Bread and Twinkies, has asked a judge to slash some of its commitments
to union employees, saying it's the only way it can emerge from
bankruptcy as a viable company.

The Teamsters union issued a swift rebuke on Thursday, saying
Hostess was trying to "bully" its way out of obligations to its
employees.

Hostess filed for bankruptcy protection earlier this month, hobbled
by Americans' preference for healthier snacks, and stiff competition
from other sweets makers like Entenmann's. The announcement came just
three years after Hostess emerged from a previous bankruptcy
restructuring.

Unions represent more than three-quarters of Hostess' 19,000 employees, the company said.

Tri-Met collapsing under its own train madness

Making it much more expensive
for honest passengers to ride, all the while cutting bus service, is
just going to accelerate the death spiral. Goldschmidt crony Fred
Hansen parachuted out just before the plunge became obvious. Why his
hapless successor took the gig is anybody's guess.
Tri-Met's allowed itself to be Blumenauered into oblivion. You'll
have to ride a bike, because there won't be a bus, and the streets will
be pretty much blocked to cars.
And now we're up to a five buck minimum entry fee every time we go downtown? The phrase "ghost town" comes immediately to mind.

Hunt’s Board testimony was a rare face-to-face with general manager
McFarlane. Local 757 picketed McFarlane’s West Hills home Nov. 19. Hunt
says the general manager has refused to meet with him, instead referring
him to Randy Stedman, who was hired Nov. 14 as TriMet Executive Director of Labor Relations and Human Resources.
Stedman’s background is as a labor relations consultant. He takes credit on his web site
for defeating a union campaign. In 2011 he represented Mt. Hood
Community College, where he won concessions from faculty after a near-strike.

Even though our ignorant management refuses to put audio into the video on buses, this clip shows how vital that is to capture the full extent of things going on in a bus:

As a school bus loaded with 67 students headed along a foggy, narrow southwest Marion County road at daybreak a few weeks ago, seven middle school students jumped a 13-year-old, the new girl on the bus that morning.Within two minutes, the Liberty Middle School child was beaten unconscious. Though the community was concerned by the Jan. 6 attack, it wasn't until Wednesday's release of a security video, which showed the attack, did people become outraged.The video, released Wednesday by the State Attorney's Office, turned an already-alarming event into a movie of sorts, one where viewers could get their own look at what happened instead of relying only a written interpretation.Judith Tellerman, a clinical professor of psychology at the University of Illinois College of Medicine, watched the video and said the reason community reaction has escalated is simple: The incident came to life.A newspaper article simply states a beating occurred. An Ernest Hemingway novel, on the other hand, captures sights, smells and sounds. In this case, the video gives that kind of context.

Here's my idea, after driving Trimet and studying Trimet for the last 15 years.
All executives, their staffs, be immediately dismissed.
Capital projects dissolved completely.
Trimet board of directors DISSOLVED and a new board created that should be elected or appointed by LOCAL ELECTED OFFICIALS.
Expansion ideas all terminated until such time that Trimet becomes financially stable.
Rides cost $1 per vehicle, no time limits, no zones, no classifications, no transfers.
Each boarding will cost an additional $1, a smart card system can be
used as a debit card or $1 cash will be accepted by on board fare boxes
on buses, rail stations will be secured so that riders must pay BEFORE
entering any station.
The only passes that will be issued are to the disabled, $25 per month unlimited rides on Trimet or Lift.
There will be one manager for every 100 operators, that would be about 15 managers. (that includes road supervisors as well as station managers)
The General Manager will be appointed by the elected board of directors,
his staff will be limited to one administrative assistant.
Legal department will be limited to 3 attorneys and three assistants.
HR will have one director with one assistant.
Mechanics division will employ based on free market principles.
Marketing department immediately dissolved as Trimet is a monopoly and does not need marketing.

Communications department immediately dissolved as unnecessary.IT department dissolved until such time that Trimet is financially solvent and can afford luxuries.

Citizens advisory committee to be comprised of CITIZENS THAT USE TRANSIT.

I have no issue paying for part of my benefits as long as I know our
collective dollars going back to TM are being spent WISELY. TriMet has a
long track record of scary (and FUEL-ish) spending. (A QUARTER MILLION
DOLLARS for a big deer art statue? Really?) Another $120k MANAGER? Has
anyone really researched the organizational chart? There must be one
manager/director/leadership position for every 5-10 non manager employee
(I don’t know the exact figure but TM is top heavy)
2) WE DIDN’T BREAK THE LAW in our negotiations. TRIMET DID. AND, we
haven’t slung anywhere near the mud TM has slung at us. Negotiating in
good faith? The TM talk internally has been butterflies and rainbows…but
that’s not the message the media and the public get.

{Editors note: Jason Mchuff and Erik Halstead have had a long running feud, Jason insists his point of view is the correct one and Erik insists his point of view is the correct one. I'm of the opinion that both points of view have validity}

I think if TriMet wants to fix the healthcare problem, all they need to do is pass the $$ for health care to the union & tell the union that they're in charge of providing health care coverage in whatever way they see fit.

At that point the union/employees are directly in charge of what their plan looks like, how much they do/don't pay, retiree benefits, etc. When the plan costs goes up, then the union has to deal with collecting more money from the employees, reducing benefits, finding cost savings, explaining the cost rise to the employees, etc.

Many of my associates have been asking me about the name change for my blog.

I try to explain to them that since TRIMET is using its WEB SITE to basically defame and demean its union personnel I thought it was appropriate to use my web site to return the favor to TRIMET EXECUTIVES.

I would have never thought of doing such a thing as this in the past, but the past is gone, we have a whole new bunch of tyrants ruling the roost and apparently the gloves are off.

Forget high priced consultants and studies, just keep an eye on Twitter!

"The most interesting thing we found is that transit riders do not give
any positive sentiment at a particular time. They only give negative
sentiment," he said. Now, this may seem depressing if you work for one
of these agencies. "But that’s not very disappointing," Hasan said,
"because we found that the lack of negative sentiment is basically what
transit authorities should look for. If there’s no negative sentiment at
any given time, that means that things are running smoothly."

The senior member of TriMet’s board
said Wednesday that she knew her development company wasn’t allowed to
pave a Pearl District parking lot when tenants started asking about it
in 2008.

But the prominent Portland developer said she did it anyway, because
she disagrees with the city’s ban on adding surface auto parking
downtown. Her company charged $100 a month per space in the illegal
112-space lot for three years.

Wednesday, January 25, 2012

But okay, fine. You want to bring union workers in line with
non-union workers? Well then, we’ll just take that to its logical
conclusion. Let’s see… about 30% of our buses
have no air conditioning, so to help save money, we’ll disable the A/C
in about 30% of TriMet offices, like, oh I don’t know, the top floor of
Center Street to start. And just like operators use seniority to sign
good runs, non-union employees can use how long they’ve been at TriMet
to bid for a good office. So to the newly hired Executive Director of HR?
Sorry my friend, you’ll probably get stuck with no air conditioning.
Good thing Oregon summers are more or less mild. But don’t worry! Every
hour or so you’ll be allowed to get up, drink some ice water, and use
the bathroom, as long as you don’t take more than 10 minutes to do all
that.

A man with a cane who had limited mobility got into a fight with a man in a wheelchair when he wouldn't move so the wheelchair could board! The wheelchair ran over the feet of the man with a cane and the fight was on!

But okay, fine. You want to bring union workers in line with non-union
workers? Well then, we’ll just take that to its logical conclusion.
Let’s see… about 30% of our buses
have no air conditioning, so to help save money, we’ll disable the A/C
in about 30% of TriMet offices, like, oh I don’t know, the top floor of
Center Street to start. And just like operators use seniority to sign
good runs, non-union employees can use how long they’ve been at TriMet
to bid for a good office. So to the newly hired Executive Director of HR?
Sorry my friend, you’ll probably get stuck with no air conditioning.
Good thing Oregon summers are more or less mild. But don’t worry! Every
hour or so you’ll be allowed to get up, drink some ice water, and use
the bathroom, as long as you don’t take more than 10 minutes to do all
that.

This has been kicking around in my head since the budget tool was released. In part, as previously mentioned,
because I thought that was a poor representation of possible options to
save money. But more than that, all the sniping little comments in
there taking shots at the union made me feel very uncomfortable.
Personally I think that is grossly unprofessional for an official TriMet
release. It’s not empowering, it doesn’t show trust, and it certainly
isn’t standing behind union workers.

Accusing the union of refusing to be reasonable: present Acknowledging that TriMet broke the law: curiously absent

Due to police activity, service is disrupted on MAX Blue and Red line
trains in Downtown Portland. Shuttle buses will service light rail stops
from the Rose Quarter Transit Center to the JELD-WEN Field MAX station.
The disruption may also cause delays to bus service. Riders should
expect delays.

Tuesday, January 24, 2012

Neil Macfarlane and First Transit are conspiring to destroy the human rights of transit workers in the Greater Portland Area.

They practice UNION BUSTING, NOT BUDGET REPAIR.

We need as many people as possible to show up for the next Trimet Board of Directors meeting Wednesday, January 25, City of Portland Building, Auditorium, 1120 SW 5th Avenue, Room C starting at 7AM. The board meeting starts at 9:00 am

TRIMET managers continue their reign of terror using Stalinisttactics in its ongoing effort to humiliate and demoralize its employees.

FIRST TRANSITUNION BUSTER SPIES ride the system posing as actual riders and send in “secret”reports which management then takes as gospel truth to harass its operators.

There is the never ending “YOU DIDN’T CALL YOUR STOPS” violations that never seem toend . The management squids won’t define which stops to call, and don’t tellyou how to do the job correctly, they jus t continue down their path of endlessintimidation of its employees like we are “mind readers” and are supposed to knowwhat they actually want.

The whole thing has turned into a comedy show, this neverending persecution has led me to just do the best job I can and laugh when theycall me in for one of their phony meetings. I have taken steps to protectmyself from the libelous ‘secret liars’ and I would encourage others to do thesame.

Your employer is against you and the public has been turnedagainst you!

PROTECT YOURSELF!Nobody else will. The union is powerless in the face of management bullying!

The ‘secret liars’ are not only making up lies regarding thecall stop nonsense, which in reality is happening because TRIMET MANAGEMENT DID NOT FULFILL ITS RESPONSIBILITY IN UPGRADINGITS EQUIPMENT TO ADA COMPLIANT, but they are also making up nonsensesuch as “operator didn’t scan”.

Unless the ‘secret liars’ are sitting right across from adriver, they have no way to know what we are doing.

The idiots that control the traffic signals at Jenkins and Murray have provided for DAILY huge traffic jams and tons of air pollution because the light is never properly timed.
Congratulations to the bumbling bureaucrats that have responsibility for creating this huge daily mess.

(Someone called customer service complaining an operator was talking on a
cell phone when they were actually using the bus phone. The dispatcher
called the operator to tell them, and was noting that the caller should
realize it wasn't a cell phone because he didn't think there were cell phone
handsets that look like the old-style ones found in the buses.)

I finally visited the remodeled Burlingame Fred Meyer yesterday.Back in the fall of 2007,I had a morning piece consisting of a 64,65 and 68.I used to have a 15 minute break at the Burger King.With the new remodel/demolition of the BK,the spot has been eliminated.

· Dependable and effective communication is necessary for the safe
and reliable operation of TriMet’s bus and light rail systems.
Therefore, a radio system and
pagers are provided for instant communication between employees working
in the field to stay in direct contact with the Operations Command
Center (OCC).

3/4 mile boundary - The Americans with Disabilities
Act (ADA) requires, at a minimum, that complementary paratransit service
be provided within a corridor of three‑quarters of a mile on either
side of a fixed‑route. A transit agency may increase that corridor.
TriMet has adopted the 3/4 mile boundary.ADA ride: An ADA eligible customer is transported
from an origin and to a destination within the ADA service boundary (3/4
mile of a fixed‑route).ADA Eligible: The ADA rules state that if a person
is unable to use fixed‑route service because of a disability, or is
unable to get to/from a fixed‑route stop because of a disability, that
person is eligible to receive paratransit service.ADA: Acronym for the Americans with Disabilities Act, enacted into law in July, 1990.Agency client: A person who is sponsored by a social
service agency which contracts with TriMet to provide transportation
for its clients. The agency is billed for the ride.

An unlocked panel door leading to a battery shut-off switch made it easy for a group of teenage criminals to disable a CTA bus, then climb aboard the darkened vehicle and attack its passengers, transit officials said Monday.

It
has been some time since ATU 757 has held a picket before the Tri Met
Board meeting but this is so important that we feel we have no choice
but to do it again. Please come join us at this informational picket
January 25th at 8:00 am in front of the Portland building. Please feel
free to stay for the meeting (9:00am) and give your opinion to the
TriMet board.

TriMet
has no budget crisis and they need to manage taxpayer dollars better.
There is no need for slick expensive brochures that attack 87% of their
employees, websites or meetings with the public. TriMet should sit down
and work with ATU 757. Please go to www. atu757.org to see the Union's recommendations for TriMet.

This
information, along with the attached flier is meant for wide
distribution and for all politicians and government board members.
Please print and distribute the flier to all tax payers and those who
are fed up with TriMet’s mismanagement of funds, sending millions of
dollars overseas, unnecessary rate hikes and service cuts.

We
have been asking for help from all politicians for a long time with
regards to TriMet’s illegal actions toward our members. Please
investigate our recommendations and help us make TriMet a more efficient
agency.

The unfortunate truth about this issue is that our Local Union leadership has allowed the Board of Directors, their management henchmen, their respective private profiteers, and the popular press to control the messages our otherwise supportive friends and neighbors receive through widely varied news & information mediums. They have been largely successful at diverting the PEOPLES attention away from their mismanagement of the public transit system by inviting the media to foment vitriolic, and sometimes violent public outrage focused on irrational criticisms of front-line WORKERS, bus operators, who have human failings as we all do, but have not been afforded their Constitutional Rights to ‘privacy’ & ‘due process’. Instead, their Media Relations & Public Information henchmen obstruct the PEOPLES view of management malfeasance, by maliciously crucifying operators in the public arena and blaming the Union for budget shortfalls, increased fares, cuts in services, and their neglect to repair and replace worn out equipment and facilities. They do this while the anointed appointed Board of Directors and the District’s General Manager artfully dodge public scrutiny of the misappropriation of funds for ‘Capital Improvements’ that primarily benefit private profiteers.